Chapter Sixteen

Jared marveled at Jody’s ability to compose herself under such stressful circumstances. Up until this moment, she’d been a mental and physical mess. Somehow, along the way, the tables had turned, and his nerves were now on the brink of shattering. To keep himself from going stir-crazy, he paced the floor. Walking at a quick treadmill speed seemed to be the only way that kept the butterflies from swarming in his stomach.

As he completed his latest pass of the room, Jared glanced over at Jody’s slight form as she sat seemingly unruffled at the conference room table. Like a beautiful statue, her hands were folded in front of her, and her eyes were peacefully shut as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

When he realized her lips were moving slowly and purposely with inaudible dialog, his curiosity had him leaning toward her. Closing the distance between them, he heard her whispered words and felt oddly comforted when his name crossed her lips. She’d included him in what had been some sort of prayer for wisdom and protection, and it made him love her all the more. Her selflessness of thinking of him at a time like this overwhelmed him.

He watched what could only be described as a miraculous transformation came over her. No longer looking broken and on the verge of a collapse, somehow, she appeared completely revitalized as if she’d had a week’s worth of sleep. Still seated at the conference room table, her sudden unflappable demeanor filled him with a sense of tranquility. Her prayers now completed, the only hint of movement around her were wisps of sun-streaked hair as they floated gently around her face on the air conditioned breeze. She took his breath away. He reached out to her with his senses and found nothing but serenity.

Absorbed in his observations, he jumped with a start when a light rap sounded on the conference room door. Jared sought out Jody’s eyes and waited for a nod to signal her readiness. Having her consent, he took a deep breath and purposely rolled his shoulders to brace himself for what he’d find once the door opened.

Nothing could have prepared him for coming face to face with the two broken people that stood in front of him. He felt as though he’d been sucker punched. The burden of sorrow they carried on their backs spoke volumes. It wasn’t necessary for the Hinton’s to verbally express their anguish. Their grief surrounded them and moved with them as if it were a living, breathing entity, all the while sucking the life from them.

Sarah Hinton stood with her head down and a posture that all but yelled to everyone around her that she’d recently suffered a massive, personal beating. While a little stronger, Dallas Hinton’s composure showed signs of being frayed beyond anything Jared could imagine.

He understood people grieved differently. He also knew most marriages couldn’t withstand the test of the death of a child. It didn’t matter how much two people loved each other before a loss that profound. Once guilt and blame started to surface in the back of their minds, it became too big and too difficult to surpass. If he had to guess, the two people in front of him were going to become another sad statistic making the loss of little Fiona even more heartbreaking.

It quickly became evident that the distance between the man and woman standing before him wasn’t just a mere arm’s length. A vast, deep, dark chasm filled with the murkiness of an immense personal tragedy separated the two. The space between them so mammoth and treacherous, he didn’t believe it would be possible for them ever to find a bridge to cross and recapture what they’d once had.

Ready or not, the time had come to either bring a little peace to them or rip what was left of their hearts out. Feeling unsteady, Jared ushered them into the room. “Please have a seat and we’ll get started.”

Jared intentionally escorted them to the other side of the table. In the event they decided to bolt, they’d be further from the door making fleeing from the room more difficult. If warranted, he hoped the distance would provide enough time to stop them before they were able to gain their escape.

As the couple situated themselves, he noticed Jody’s almost imperceptible nod. She’d given him his sign that little Fiona was indeed present and ready to go. It’s show time. As he offered everyone water, his mind filled with the prayer he’d heard Jody offer earlier.

Never before being a party to something like this, he forced himself to remain calm and proceed as nonchalantly as possible. “Mr. and Mrs. Hinton, my name is J.D. Bastion. This—” his hand extended toward Jody—“is Ms. Jody Clarke. Thank you for coming.” He paused long enough for Dallas Hinton to acknowledge him with a nod. “Ms. Clarke has some information for you so I’ll turn the floor over to her.” He nodded to Jody as he sat beside her.

Before the couple entered the room, Jody surrounded herself and Jared in a bubble of bright white light. Normally she didn’t feel the need for this type of powerful intervention and only requested it through prayer when she felt serious trouble might arise while passing messages between the living and dead. In her experience, this spiritual tool seemed to have a calming effect on everyone involved in these types of situations. An added benefit was the potent protective light also afforded her a much needed energy boost, just as the spiritual cleansings she’d received in the past had. As long as the bubble around them held, they’d be protected from the intense emotions she knew encircled these people. This reunion would be impossible if she were forced to deal with all of the outside influences the Hinton’s brought with them. Fiona had already proved to be more than she could handle. Relieved to find the protection was indeed in place and holding, she tried to relax.

The two people she’d been waiting to meet for what seemed like an eternity were finally sitting across the table from her. From the moment this meeting had become evident, the subject of how to broach the subject of Fiona with her parents had crossed her mind several times. If Jody made the mistake of hemming and hawing around too much, she knew they’d probably lose their patience quickly and leave. She’d decided the best course of action would be to blurt out her reason for being here right away. Rip the Band-Aid off all in one quick motion so to speak.

“Two nights ago, I was awakened in the middle of the night by a little girl crying. She said she needed to talk to her parents. She’d tried many times to get her mother’s attention, but no matter what she did, her mother couldn’t hear her. She expressed a great deal of fear for her mommy, and emphatically stated that she needed to deliver a critical message to her.” Jody paused and watched the Hinton’s reaction carefully.

As Dallas Hinton started to grasp what was being said, she felt his hostility lunge out from across the table and grab her by the throat. If the Hinton’s couldn’t be convinced soon that Fiona had been communicating with her, they’d leave. Everything she’d been through would’ve been for naught.

Not yet connecting Jody’s words, Mrs. Hinton’s head remained down, but Mr. Hinton’s rage-filled gaze never left Jody’s face. “She said her name was Fiona.”

As expected, all hell broke loose. Sarah Hinton’s head jerked up at the mention of her baby girl’s name. Dallas Hinton stood so fast his chair toppled behind him. “How dare you!” he bellowed. Jared quickly rose and stood next to Jody. She knew he’d throw himself at Mr. Hinton if he made a move for her.

Turning crimson from anger, Dallas roughly grabbed Sarah’s arm and jerked her up. “We’re leaving.”

Remaining calm, Jody looked at Jared and held her hand out. “May I have your phone. I’d like to show Mr. and Mrs. Hinton the pictures you took.”

“I’m not looking at anything, lady. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay out of my way and never contact us again. I don’t know what you hoped to gain by this, but it’s cruel. Can’t you see my wife is suffering enough?”

She remained silent while Jared quickly opened his picture file on his phone. The moment he found the three photos he’d taken of Fiona, he handed it to Jody. Moving rapidly, she skirted around the table to get to Sarah. She tried to hand the phone off to her, but Mrs. Hinton was too distressed to take it.

“Look, Sarah. You can’t leave until you see these photos. They were taken last night in Scottsdale, Arizona. It’s Fiona—it’s her spirit.” Jody held the phone out and watched as the haggard woman glanced at the picture. Sarah Hinton’s body reacted before her brain could chime in. She quickly took two steps back, reached for her throat and started gasping for air. Upon realizing the misty image caught on the camera was indeed that of her little Fiona, the woman began to hyperventilate.

Jody didn’t miss the blind rage within Mr. Hinton. Jared apparently recognized the anger as well because he still stood defensively at her side. Knowing he’d protect her at any cost, she did her best to stay focused on Sarah.

Mr. Hinton violently made a grab for the phone to see what had upset his wife so profoundly. When he saw the pictures, he reacted with fury borne of loss and fear. Jody couldn’t be clear if it was fear of the unknown or fear for his wife’s sanity.

A tortured grimace twisted Dallas Hinton’s face. He shot a dangerous look at Jody, which relayed in no uncertain terms he was capable of murder. If he’d had a gun, she’d be in his sights. Jody understood the blame he placed squarely at her feet for upsetting his wife. Clearly, he’d considered her interference as an outright disrespect for the grieving they’d been through. It was obvious to everyone present that his first and only consideration was for his wife and her welfare. Sarah had been on a journey through a very personal hell. Because of that, Dallas had to be concerned that her progress through the grieving process had probably just suffered a huge setback.

As everyone tried to figure out their next move, Dallas reared back and forcefully threw the phone at Jody. Sarah Hinton let out a blood-curdling scream as she clutched at the air with both fists. She’d tried, unsuccessfully, to catch the physical evidence of her daughter’s after-death appearance as the phone flew past her just out of reach. Jody’s arms shot out to protect her head. As the phone, going the speed of a missile, hit her wrist, she suffered a nasty stab of pain.

Jared was on him in a flash. He restrained Mr. Hinton’s arms behind his back and whispered something in the man’s ear. By the grim expression on Jared’s face, she knew his words were harsh and had only been allowed to move past his lips to stop the violence.

Dallas fought off the hold and crept dangerously close to Jody. “What the fuck is this?” He demanded as Sarah Hinton continued to scramble under the table where the phone had come to rest. “What exactly is it you’re trying to do here? How dare you do this to my wife and me! I demand an explanation now.” Never flinching, Jody firmly stood her ground.

Still on the floor, Sarah reached up and clutched at her husband’s arm. “It’s her, Dallas. It’s our little Fiona.” She shook him to get him to look at her. “Look, dammit! It is her!”

As if beaten, he wearily glanced down at the phone his wife held out for him. His face magnified his pain. Dallas started to visibly shake and cursed as he twisted away from the evidence the photo held. He stumbled to the window and stared out at the dull Texas sky.

Sarah pleaded with Jody. “Fiona, my baby—please, tell me why she didn’t come to me herself. Is she angry at me because I didn’t get her to the hospital in time? Please,” bridled with remorse, the woman begged, “I have to know the truth. Does she blame me?”

Jody’s heart clenched as Sarah Hinton broke down in a heap on the floor. “Does my baby girl blame me for her death?” she wailed through convulsive tears.

Sarah’s tormented plea for answers softened Jody’s defenses and allowed her to forget the pain in her wrist to focus completely on the task at hand. Jared backed off, but kept Dallas in his field of vision just in case the grieving man couldn’t restrain his violent anger.

Jody carefully approached Mrs. Hinton, collected her off the floor and eased her onto a chair. Sitting next to her, she attempted to hold Sarah’s hands and offer whatever tranquility she could.

“Please, let me start from the beginning. I’ve had quite a bit of experience talking to loved ones who’ve passed over. But in all my years, I’ve never had an experience like Fiona before.”

Tears streamed down Sarah’s face, and a proud smile lit from beneath them. “That’s my baby girl. That’s my Fiona. There’s no one else in this world like her. She’s special.”

Jody purposely nodded her head in agreement. “Yes. She is very special. I want to start out by saying that Fiona has gone to extraordinary measures to get us together so she could talk to you and your husband. She’s been so worried about you that she attached herself to me. It’s her way of getting me to do everything I could to find out who you were, and give her the opportunity to talk to you.”

Still in awe of Fiona’s spunky determination, Jody couldn’t help but laugh under her breath. “Do you remember the mail flying through the air in your kitchen?”

Dallas spun around, shock reflected on his tear-streaked face at what Jody had just said. His stance made it clear he hadn’t believed Sarah when she’d told him about that incident. He’d probably written it off as exhaustion, or maybe just wishful thinking due to delirium from the pain of losing their baby girl.

Sarah’s hand covered her gaping mouth. Recognition bloomed in her eyes as she realized that on top of everything else she’d been through, she hadn’t been going crazy at all. “I knew that was her!” Reverence punctuated her whispered voice. “I heard voices at first. It sounded like my little Fiona was speaking with someone.”

Given the absurdity of the situation, Jody couldn’t stop her laughter. “She was. She was talking to me. We were both there. I’m not exactly sure how she did it, but she ran through me. The best way I can describe it is that she kidnapped me, so she could take me to your home and find your address.”

“I don’t believe a word of this!” The words were spit at Jody from across the room. The statement, fueled with so much fury, left Jody cringing out of fear. Dallas moved to his wife and fiercely jerked her arm to get her up. “Come on, Sarah. We’re getting the hell out of here.”

Jody stood and reached out for his arm to stop him. Dallas swung his body to block her hold on him, almost knocking her down in the process.

“Mr. Hinton!” Jody directed all of her attention to him and realized his message would have to come first.

Up until this point, he’d been the strong one in the relationship, helping his wife navigate through the grief while leaving his own unattended. Their roles had suddenly been reversed. Judging by his actions, it wouldn’t be long before Dallas Hinton lost his fight with his misery. He had now moved into the uncomfortable position of needing the support that he’d been so generous with over the last month. His unease and fear of letting go were apparent. He didn’t seem like the type of man who gave into his emotions often, and that fact could make the rest of this reading tough to get through, if not impossible. She looked him straight in the eye and said as confidently as possible, “Sunny Girl would like to talk to you too.”

Jody saw recognition flit across Mr. Hinton’s eyes. His expression, once murderous, suddenly softened. His body gently swayed until he couldn’t hold himself upright any longer and collapsed at Jody’s feet. She knew his daughter’s pet name would shake him and figured that’s why Fiona had insisted she use it.

Worried this may turn into a medical emergency, everyone rushed to the grieving man’s side. Dallas couldn’t breathe. Jody took him by the hands to offer whatever meager strength she had left.

“Fiona insists I call her Sunny when I’m speaking to you about her.”

Dallas went dead still and locked eyes with her looking for any hint of deception. Jody willingly opened herself up to him and allowed him to see into her soul. His shock was apparent as he realized there wasn’t anything devious within Jody. His beloved daughter’s simple determination shone back at him through her gaze.

“Sunny wants you to know she has Rocko with her.”

Tears flowed freely down his face. His grief, unable to stay buried a moment longer, had him crying out in pure agony. Sarah lovingly wrapped her arms around her husband’s shoulders.

“Sh-h-h, baby,” she cooed. “The time for crying is over. Fiona worked very hard to make this family gathering possible. We need to be clear-headed enough to listen to her.” With a show of strength that belied her, Sarah maneuvered Dallas to the table and sat him in the chair next to hers. Pulling a tissue from her purse, she gently wiped his face, caring for him now as she hadn’t been able to do over the last month.

Jody waited to continue with Fiona’s message until the couple had settled themselves. The weariness Dallas displayed worried her. At least she’d been able to put his concerns about Fiona’s appearance and communication with her to rest. They could finally progress with the business at hand.

“How did you know I called her Sunny? I’m the only one who ever called her that. I only did it at bedtime. And Rocko—you couldn’t possibly have known about him.”

“She told me just now. She wants you to know that she has Rocko with her. You don’t need to worry about him anymore. She said she’d take real good care of him for you.”

His sad smile removed any tension she’d previously seen on his face. “Rocko was my dog. He died about a year before Sunny…” he struggled with the words. He stole a moment to peer at his and his wife’s joined hands before speaking again. “Before Sunny left us.”

Jody’s gaze was locked on a spot beyond Dallas. The expression that crossed her face could only be described as distasteful. She squinted and asked under her breath, “What the hell is that thing?”

She had the Hinton’s full attention.

Fiona giggled. “That’s Rock’em, Sock’em, Rocko, my dad’s dog. The best dog EVER!”

Jody tried to cut her giggle off by covering her mouth with her hand. She’d failed. She locked her gaze on Dallas and said with a skeptical shake of her head, “She’s bringing forward a dog that she’s calling Rock’em, Sock’em, Rocko.” She paused, her head still slightly rocking in disbelief. “I’m sorry, but I’ve groomed thousands of dogs, and I’ve never seen anything like this one. Rocko has got to be the…” Jody stopped just short of relaying her first reaction to the extremely ugly dog. She cleared her throat, stalling for time to come up with a nicer description for the beast. “Rocko is the most unfortunate looking creature I’ve ever seen.”

Dallas and Sarah’s foreheads came together with a loving touch. Both giggled through their tears at the memory of the hideously ugly dog. “Yeah, he wasn’t a pretty mutt, but what he didn’t have in the looks department, he made up for with love. He’d follow Sunny Girl around from sun up to sun down.” Looking deeply into his wife’s eyes, they both smiled at the memory. “Do you remember, Sarah?”

She squeezed him close to her in a tight embrace. “Yes, baby. I remember. They truly loved each other.”

The room went quiet. All eyes were on Jody again when everyone realized she was listening to something. Her demeanor changed. Her gaze shifted back to Dallas so he’d recognize the importance of what she was about to tell him.

“Fiona…” Jody jumped, surprising everyone at the table. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. She still wants me to refer to her as Sunny when I’m speaking with you, Dallas. She’s very insistent about that,” Jody stated as she rubbed her side where Fiona had poked her. “She said she never told you, but she loved it when you called her Sunny and your little Sunny Girl. It was something special between the two of you. She cherishes it and carries the memory with her.

“Mr. Hinton, Sunny wants you to know she’s not upset that you weren’t there when she died. She knows you carry a deep guilt about that. She wants you to know she wouldn’t have been able to leave if you’d have been there. That’s why she left just minutes before you could get to her.

“She says to tell you she wants you to remember back when Rocko died. It made you sad, and you cried. She wouldn’t have been able to go if you were there because she saw how sad you were when Rocko left. It was her decision to leave when she did so you wouldn’t have to see her pass. She doesn’t want you to feel guilty about it.”

There wasn’t anything more sorrowful than seeing a full-grown man sob from a broken heart. With each tear he shed, the guilt he’d been carrying around for being absent at the time of her death, the guilt that had weighed him down for so long now, was being lifted from his shoulders.

“It was a very special gift of love just for you, Mr. Hinton. She wants you to know that and understand it wasn’t your fault.”

Jody focused on the space next to Dallas and nodded. “She wants you to know that when you go out to the pond and talk to her…” Fiona’s abrupt interruption made it difficult to keep a straight face. “Okay. Okay. She wants me to remind you the pond is where the two of you caught that ginormous catfish.” Jody spread her hands wide just like Fiona had shown her, resulting in an outburst of laughter from everyone in the room. “When you go there and talk to her, she’s with you and hears every word you say. She told me you’re the best dad ever, and she loves you with all her heart.”

Jody turned to Sarah and leaned in. Now for the most difficult message. “Fiona wants you to know it’s not the right time for you to come and be with her yet. You need to stay with her daddy.” The room went silent as the realization of her words dawned on the participants. Sarah gasped when her innermost secret wish for death had been revealed.

Shocked by this latest revelation, Dallas wrapped his arms around his wife and held on for dear life. He spoke to her through his sobs. “I can’t lose you too, baby. You can’t leave me.”

Jody now understood why Fiona had become more frantic as time went by, never giving her a moment of peace.

“That first night Fiona and I met, she took me to her deathbed. I saw the two of you cuddled together. You were begging her not to go. You talked to her about how much you loved her and needed her to stay. She heard every word, but it was her time. It wouldn’t have mattered when you got her to the hospital. She wouldn’t have survived. She was being called home.

“She wants you to know she wouldn’t have given her life up with the two of you for anything, even if it meant staying until she was old. The two of you always made her feel loved, and wanted, and safe.”

Shocked by what she’d just learned from Fiona, Jody’s eyebrows rose. She looked into Sarah’s eyes and smiled. “You’re pregnant.” It was a statement, not a question.

Sarah vehemently shook her head. “No.”

Jody nodded affirmatively. “Fiona says you are. She just told me you need to take care of yourself and eat good food like strawberries and apples. If it were up to her, you should probably stay away from broccoli.” Jody laughed at the absurdity of the message and held her right hand up in the air. “I swear, I couldn’t make this shit up if I wanted to.”

Sarah threw her head back and laughed for the first time since Fiona had died. “My little Fiona hated broccoli. She would moan and groan to try to get out of eating it.”

Jody snickered. “Well apparently, she’s looking out for her little brother. She’s holding his soul for you until it’s time for him to come. She’s been telling her baby brother all about you two and how much fun he’s going to have.”

Jody’s attention was once again distracted. The people in the room patiently waited for her to receive the coveted information from their baby girl. “Fiona promised her little brother that you would give him Thumper Bumper. She’s told him all about the stuffed, green bunny. She says he’s expecting to see it right away, so don’t forget it when the time comes.

“She also says he’s going to look just like her daddy. His hair is light brown and curly.”

Jody leaned in to add her two cents. “If I were you, I’d go to the doctor. She seems pretty certain about this pregnancy.”

Jody started to see hope for the future, as well as healing of the past in the faces of Fiona’s parents. Their demeanor had changed dramatically. Fiona had lightened their heavy load. They’d been holding on to each other since almost the beginning of Fiona’s messages. Their sweet, little Sunny Girl had given them the gift of bringing them together again. She’d given them what they each needed to move on and look forward to in the future. The Hinton’s were going to make it. Jody was sure of that.

“Fiona’s showing me something, but I’m not quite sure what it is. It’s a small piece of black fabric. It has what looks like a silver helmet at the top, with green and gold leaves flowing from it. In the center is a white shield with a picture of what looks like a deer.” Unclear about what she was seeing, Jody shrugged her shoulders. “I have no idea what this is, but she’s waving it in the air like a flag and wants you to know she has it.”

Sarah’s voice cracked. “I put it in her coffin before it was sealed. It’s the McCarthy coat of arms. I told her to find our people, and they’d keep her safe.”

Jody’s smile brightened the room. “She’s with them! Before we found you, Fiona wouldn’t give me any peace. She didn’t understand the rules of engagement between the living and the dead. A woman appeared and told her to go with her. She told her they’d make cookies and have a little chat about bothering the living.” Jody laughed at the memory.

“Fiona identified the woman as her grandmother. I’m surprised she didn’t come through today, but it feels as if everyone has taken a step back to let Fiona have her say.”

Jody studied the couple sitting across from her. She was thrilled for them. Fiona’s visit had given them a new chance at life. They were smiling and laughing through their tears and holding each other’s hands.

The weight of this meeting had started taking its toll on her, though. She’d have to end this soon. “I have something for you.” She picked a package up off the floor and set it on the table before them.

“I know Fiona touched many lives when she was alive, and that hasn’t stopped in death. This is a gift from one of those people, a friend of mine who’s an artist.”

Sarah opened the box to find a beautiful portrait of Fiona drawn in charcoal. Terry, who’d never met her in life but had fallen in love with the spunky little girl in death, had sketched her.

Overcome with emotion and knowing time had now grown short, Jody clutched at her heart as her eyes filled with tears of joy for this family. “I’ll never forget little Fiona. I’ll think of her always.” She stood and slowly drifted over to Sarah with her arms outstretched. “Thank you for meeting with us, and thank you for letting me pass her messages on to you.”

She whispered in Sarah’s ear. “Please go to the doctor. You are pregnant.”

Jody stood by silently as Jared closed the door behind Sarah and Dallas. When he turned back to her, her forlorn expression as she looked across the room told him everything he needed to know. Her tears flowed freely down her face as she held her hand up in a silent farewell to Fiona.

“Do you think you’ll ever see her again?”

Weary from Fiona’s journey, she absently shook head. “No.”

He crossed the room and drew her into his arms, needing the embrace as much as she did.